The Labour Party WHO’S WHO IN THE EAST NOT AN OFFICIAL LABOUR PARTY DOCUMENT Stephen Thomas| 12th April 20 0 https://socialistandtradeunionism.org/ Forward The first steps into socialist politics can be a minefield. Like many organisations the membership has different views but has one socialist theme on how we should represent the people, take the Party forward and lead the Country. We have recently lost yet another General Election. Labour’s, some would say, knee jerk reaction, has led to a swing to the right after several years to the socialist left under Jeremy Corbyn. Whichever way you look at it, it is the members of the party that choose the policies and it is the Leaders responsibility to deliver on them. The choice of the leader is how to implement them and ignite the country so once again they too can believe in our socialist values. At the time of writing, the world is going through a Pandemic, with tens of thousands of people dying. The Conservative Party is in power with a massive majority and are at their most popular, mainly through implementing Labour’s socialist policies. Now collectively known as frontline staff, the country has come to recognize the worth and value of our NHS, careers and cleaning staff. Political theories have entwined with each other and some would fear it has now become more difficult to distinguish between the political Parties. Once the survivors return to a normal way of life, where we can once again visit our family and friends, go to work, walk in the countryside and visit the seaside, then please don’t let the country return to the old Conservative ways of doing things. WHAT AM I JOINING? I like to think that you have started your socialist journey here. Well, to really get yourself started, you could just visit https://labour.org.uk/members/, sign up, and pay your monies and your done. If you just did that, then “welcome to the Labour Party, you have just joined the mad world of politics”. “How do you feel…. better?” CONSTITUENCY LABOUR PARTY (CLP) For those of you that need to know a little bit more before you do that, across the country are groups of grassroot labour supporters gathered into what is known as a Constituency Labour Party (CLP). There is one CLP for every area that elects a Member of Parliament (MP). You don’t have to remember or even select one of these, as when you apply to join you become a member of that CLP in the area that you live. If the CLP covers a greater geographical area or has a large population, then they may also sub-divide into smaller groups known as Branches. So, the branches are made up of 1 https://socialistandtradeunionism.org/ activist and these feed into the CLP’s; they meet periodically and the CLP’s meet quarterly. You can become an officer at your CLP, however, all members are able to vote to select the candidates you would like to represent the Labour Party on your various local councils and for your MP. When you go to your meeting, you will have to show your membership card (you will receive this through the post). I am kind of guessing, turning up at one of these meetings may cause your anxieties to go through the roof but there is no need to worry. The group will consist of people just like you and me. In my case, I just sat and listened for the first few times; I stuck my hand up when it was time to vote, chatted in the break and drank lots of tea and coffee. Sure, you are going to hear the word “Comrade” banded around a few times but I am also sure that is because they can’t remember your name. The group will be made up and represented by every gender, ethnicity and age group. This is where you will first notice the different flavours of socialism as members speak their mind about current and past events. You will become enthralled by the passion and enthusiasm of each speaker and this will enable you to confirm your approach and beliefs and even in some cases, I guess, move/alter your own viewpoint. Constituencies in the East Norfolk Great Yarmouth Mid Norfolk North Norfolk North West Norfolk Norwich North Norwich South South Norfolk South West Norfolk Suffolk Bury St Edmunds Central Suffolk and North Ipswich Ipswich 2 https://socialistandtradeunionism.org/ South Suffolk Suffolk Coastal Waveney West Suffolk Cambridge Cambridge Huntingdon North East Cambridgeshire North West Cambridgeshire Peterborough South Cambridgeshire South East Cambridgeshire Hertfordshire Broxbourne Hemel Hempstead Hertford and Stortford Hertsmere Hitchin and Harpenden North East Hertfordshire South West Hertfordshire St Albans Stevenage Watford Welwyn Hatfield Essex 3 https://socialistandtradeunionism.org/ Basildon and Billericay Braintree Brentwood and Ongar Castle Point Chelmsford Clacton Colchester Epping Forest Harlow Harwich and North Essex Maldon Rayleigh and Wickford Rochford and South End East Saffron Walden South Basildon and East Thurrock South End West Thurrock Witham 4 https://socialistandtradeunionism.org/ SIR KEIR STARMER Sir Keir Starmer has taken over the leadership of a very reduced Labour Party and the country is in lockdown. We apparently have a very proficient Conservative party with the Prime Minister himself having recovered from Coronavirus. What could possibly go wrong? The leadership contest was triggered by the Labour parties’ disastrous results in the 2019 General Election. This was brought about by Labour having its arm twisted and forcing us into a vote of no confidence due to the Brexit negotiations. The election process started on the 24th February 2020, with candidates requiring 10 per cent of the MP’s and MEP’s vote. It was then the Constituency Labour Party’s (CLP’s) turn to vote and candidates were required to get 5 per cent of the vote or receive votes from at least three affiliated groups, including two trade unions and representing at least 5 per cent of affiliated members. Then it was up to the Party members to individually vote. On the 4th April 2020 Keir Starmer was announced as the new Leader of the Labour Party with 56.2 per cent of the vote. Instantly Facebook and Twitter lit up with resignation threats from Labour Party members, claiming that Sir Keir is a blue Socialist and too far right from the Corbynite position. The party, unions and individuals have voted for Keir, a more middle ground leader that brings with him little baggage in his five years of politics. The Labour Party needs to do something different and if returning to a more Blairite position is the answer, then so be it. SHADOW CABINET So just to get you started we have a leader called Keir Starmer and he has chosen from our MP’s a Shadow Cabinet to challenge the actual Conservative Government: Deputy Leader and Chair of the Labour Party – Angela Rayner 5 https://socialistandtradeunionism.org/ Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer – Anneliese Dodds Shadow Foreign Secretary – Lisa Nandy Shadow Home Secretary – Nick Thomas-Symonds Shadow Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster – Rachel Reeves Shadow Justice Secretary – David Lammy Shadow Defence Secretary – John Healey Shadow Business, Energy and Industrial Secretary – Ed Miliband Shadow International Trade Secretary – Emily Thornberry Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary – Jonathan Reynolds Shadow Secretary of State for Health and Social Care – Jonathan Ashworth Shadow Education Secretary – Rebecca Long-Bailey Shadow Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Secretary – Jo Stevens Shadow Chief Secretary to the Treasury – Bridget Phillipson Shadow Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Secretary – Luke Pollard Shadow Communities and Local Government Secretary – Steve Reed Shadow Housing Secretary – Thangam Debbonaire Shadow Transport Secretary – Jim McMahon Shadow International Development Secretary – Preet Kaur Gill Shadow Northern Ireland Secretary (interim) – Louise Haigh Shadow Scotland Secretary – Ian Murray Shadow Wales Secretary – Nia Griffith Shadow Women and Equalities Secretary – Marsha de Cordova Shadow Employment Rights and Protections Secretary – Andy McDonald Shadow Minister for Mental Health – Rosena Allin-Khan Shadow Minister for Young People and Voter Engagement – Cat Smith Shadow Attorney General – Lord Falconer Shadow Leader of the House – Valerie Vaz Lords’ Opposition Chief Whip – Lord McAvoy 6 https://socialistandtradeunionism.org/ Opposition Chief Whip – Nick Brown Leader of the House of Lords – Baroness Smith MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT IN THE EAST After the 2019 general election we have just five Members of Parliament (MP’s): Clive Lewis MP – Norwich South https://www.clivelewis.org/ Rachel Hopkins MP – Luton South https://www.rachelhopkins.org/ 7 https://socialistandtradeunionism.org/ Sarah Owen MP – Luton North https://sarahowen.org.uk/ Mohammed Yasin MP - Bedford and Kempston https://mohammadyasin.org/ Daniel Zeichner MP - Cambridge https://www.danielzeichner.co.uk/ COUNCILS There are several tiers of governance but we are going to look at just for our purposes. Each part of the country will have a County Council and beneath them they will have District Councils. These can also be known as Borough Councils and then just to complicate things further, there may be a Unitary Authority which was a group of councils that have now merged. The best way of remembering is that the District collects the rubbish and the County dispose. County are must do’s and District are more social (Like to do’s). Here in the East it looks like this: Councils in the East 8 https://socialistandtradeunionism.org/ Essex Ceremonial Council 1. Thurrock U.A. (Shire county/Unitary Council) 2. Southend-on-Sea U.A. (Shire county/Unitary Council) 3. Essex (Shire county/Unitary Council) District Council’s a) Harlow, b) Epping Forest, c) Brentwood, d) Basildon, e) Castle Point, f) Rochford, g) Maldon, h) Chelmsford, i) Uttlesford, j) Braintree, k) Colchester, l) Tendring 4.